Projector Screen Tensioning

Does your manual projector screen not pull down easily? Will it not stay down after you jerk it downward a few times? If so, you might need to re-tension the spring in charge of maintaining the position of the screen!
Today, I uninstall my screen, tear it down and re-tension the spring inside to make it work properly again. I'll show you my trial-and-error process so that you can attempt your own fix--before you trash your manual pull-down screen and buy a mechanized one! The crux of this process requires a unique tool, which can easily be made out of scrap angled metal (I used aluminum, but it could be iron or anything else strong and thin).
Please leave your comments and questions below and I'll try to respond as quickly as possible!

[@-TKMAX-]

Also another tip. If you take the other end off and pull the screen out of its casing you can then tension it up with the end where it locks into the end cap if that makes sense. No need for tensioning device. Thats how I did it anyway

[@dalegarbett2461]

Came across this video today. very helpful, I made a tool similar to that and used the zip ties. Putting on the new end cap was hard enough without having to hold the screen case. This video helped me repair a 3 year old 8' carpeted tripod screen with a plastic end cap. I have 20 year old screens that were built better. Thank you

[@StoneFlange]

Glad it helped! :) It’s a shame they don’t come with clear instructions on maintenance. I think I got a good price on my screen but felt the tension problem cropped up way too soon.

[@davidsmith1998]

Thanks so much! My screen seemed to have no tension when I first got it, or lost it due to my meddling with it and your video helped me understand how the mechanism was supposed to work. Lazyness inspired me to find an easier way of restoring tension without using a shim. Remove both end caps. Slide the screen slightly out of the left end of the case and fully roll it up. To add tension, slide the left end cap onto just the screen but NOT the casing and rotate it a few times (the opposite way to how you were rolling up the screen) to build up tension. Then slide the left end cap plus screen into the casing. Then reattach the right end cap by inserting your fingers into the casing to help locate the screen into the hold in the right endcap.

[@StoneFlange]

Cool--I wish I had thought of that way! Getting the left cap on while the rod is in tension was tough, but it sounds like you did it without half the struggle I put in haha! Thanks for the share!

[@PopAShmurf]

This is exactly what I did! Unfortunately was not a permanent solution for mine.

[@MatijaErceg]

This is a great, clear instructional. Much appreciated!

[@hikpir8654]

Thank you Jim, you are awesome!

[@kennnnnethchua]

Thank you for this. I have a screen exactly like yours but It's hard to roll back up. Will try adjusting tension.

[@kevinmerritt9206]

This really saved my bacon! Thanks.

[@StoneFlange]

Heh glad it was helpful :)

[@renierleroux7359]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@StoneFlange]

I'm glad I could help :)

[@olsztynPrague]

Thanks

[@spowerv2605]

super bro

[@TedKekatos]

My problem was a little different. I could not get the screen to roll up.. The latches would not release to allow the screen to rewind. Your video helped me to see the inside and understand how the latches work. Thanks for your video.

[@StoneFlange]

Ted Kekatos my pleasure!

[@samteale4057]

how did you sort it please, i have not been able yet since i got the projector screen to put it up

[@PopAShmurf]

Same here - opposite problem. I have a floor model Model C Da-Lite screen for pro AV usage. ("cradle screen" - rolls up, with spine to support it.) The screen was over-extended and would not roll back in! With 2 guys holding the screen, I screwed off the caps and hand-rolled the spool (was over concrete so could not go to floor!.) I did something similar to what you've done here, but have the same issue again. I'll use your method here, your video is very explanatory. Thank you.

[@crisalf_]

The plastic of One side of my bar it's broken, the part where it's the spring. Can I buy that part somewhere?? I need to change that mechanisms

[@TheOnlyGHOST1015]

0:57 😆 that's was me

[@tarcisiomarques8784]

If the screen is just stuck, carefully hang it upside down. While holding this position, pull the slat bail while gently tapping the screen case on the floor. In most cases the screen will roll back up freely. I hope this will help you guys.

[@ThingsMadeOfOtherThings]

I have a spring loaded screen like this and I'm planning to motorize it with a stepper motor and a wifi enabled microcontroller. It is a straightforward project in my head, I just wondered if you had tried this or thought of trying this? Since you said your next screen will be motorized

[@StoneFlange]

No motor yet! That project sounds pretty cool though. I’ve moved since shooting this video, and the new place doesn’t have a great spot for a screen :( try automating your screen to roll down when you, for example, turn on your audio receiver or computer or other device 👌 good luck!

[@jamesking890]

nice shirt! thanks for the tips, i broke my end cap, and am looking to purchase a new one... but not i know how to fix it.

[@StoneFlange]

Hope you can find a replacement--I deformed the inside of my cap a little bit during this process. It still works fine, but I wish they had lined the mating part with metal. There is so much torque on such a little bit of plastic!

[@AmitChaudhary-ze4iq]

Which gear is that? 1:50

[@m.a.r.1125]

Thanks for the video just what I was looking for. Now do u think it would be possible to peplace the whole screen itself? I want to try to replace my white screen with a grey one. I'll just buy the ALR cloth and cut it to size and insert back in the housing.

[@StoneFlange]

Mike R. Hmm that's a good question, I hadn't thought of trying. There may be a way to unclip the screen, but I don't remember how it's inserted into the reel. I assume you're trying to change the reflectance, so I wonder if you could just paint it instead?

[@m.a.r.1125]

Jim Stiernberg ya I thought of painting but there's so many screen paints out there, everyone is saying they got the best and I'm not sure if it will stick properly seems like it'll just end up peeling off with so much rolling and unrolling.

[@StoneFlange]

Mike R. My first thought is to go with a latex-based paint. I've used latex types on other projects and found it to be capable of flexing quite well; mind, I never repeatedly rolled/unrolled it tightly several times. A quick search on Amazon showed a number of acrylic and acrylic-latex solutions. Without much expertise, it's hard to say, but the screen manufacturers must be using something and I would guess it is latex-based. Also, most of the suggested applications I read suggested at least two coats and I would think that an additional coat (definitely not 2 additional though) might help with fatigue/cracking/peeling issues. Let me know if you go through with it!

[@BSUISU]

Hi, I am trying to reattach/glue the projection screen onto the roller. You mentioned in the early part of the video that one needs to add the tension back by rolling it 12 to 15 times. But towards the end of the the video you did 2 or 2 and a half turns only. My question is should I add just 2 or 3 cycle AFTER I rolled up the screen into the box or I need to crank it up until I cannot turns anymore. Thanks.

[@StoneFlange]

BSUISU Hey, sorry for the late response! I would recommend 2-3 turns after winding the screen up into the housing. In fact, you may want to try 2 first and only increase to 3 if it doesn’t retract all the way. I think I started mine with 4 or 5 turns and that sucker rang like a bell when it slipped out of my hand and went flying back into its case haha!

[@BSUISU]

Thanks. Hope it is just scary sound and there is no danger to my fingers.

[@haseebullah35]

@@StoneFlange hi. Hope you are doing well. Kindly mention any solution to curls on both side of screen. Thanks in anticipation

[@21753117]

@@StoneFlange With my screen (big and heavy), I applied about 15 full 360° turns of spring tension after the screen was completely rolled in. It turned out to be much less tension than the screen had when new. So I guess it depends on the spring every manufacturer uses. I still wonder if I disassemble the screen again and apply 25 or 30 turns, if the ratchet that holds the screen will work again.

[@kvsreddy99]

Thank you sir,ihave suffering Same problem,

[@StoneFlange]

Glad I could help! :)

[@HucksterFoot]

I tried this, but mine just keeps turning. Maybe the spring is broken?

[@21753117]

Can anybody explain why a lot of spring tension is needed for the ratchet mechanism to work? My screen had good tension but the ratchet mechanism stopped working, it makes a noise at the point where it should hold the screen, but it almost never locks the screen when fully deployed. I don't know if it's lack of tension or the ratchet works on plastic parts that got worn out. I see two alternatives, applying a lot more tension to the spring and see if it solves the ratchet problem or leave mild tension and anchor the handle at the bottom with a hook and weights. I prefer to rely on the ratchet because that way the tension is supported by the ratchet, on the other hand if holding the handle at the bottom with weights, the (mild) tension will be on the screen, I don't know how that can affect the screen after many hours deployed. By the way I think it's best to avoid the method explained here using a metal home-made tool to maintain the spring tension, just remove both caps, move the screen a little to the spring loaded side, apply and keep spring tension with the screen housing's end cap that goes into the springed side, fix the cap to the housing, then fit the screen axle at the other end to the center of the other cap, and screw that cap to the housing. Not easy either, but you avoid trying to fit the cap to a spring loaded end, you work without tension and you don't need to make and ad-hoc tool. There are many different screens so your experience may vary.

[@21753117]

I fully disassembled my screen; the locking mechanism is completely different to the one seen on this video. Here you can see a metal locking mechanism at the extreme and outside the screen cilinder. On my screen there's a freely rotating plastic part with five blades attached to a plastic core, the plastic core goes inside the screen spring -about 1meter long-. This plastic core is cut in half at the tip, which goes approx. at the center of the screen housing. The plastic part with 5 blades rotates freely at the tip where this plastic core is cut in half, the tension on the spring determines the expansion of the plastic core that's cut in half, and this allows the rotating part to be firm and lock the screen, or to be loose and let the screen roll up. What happened is, 3 of the 5 blades were broken, and the surviving two are worn out. It's a really bad idea by the manufacturer to put a regular plastic piece for that function, it should be metal or some high performance PA. To be able to lock the screen again, it's necessary to replace that plastic part with 5 blades. So I left the part "as is", tensioned the spring lightly and reassembled the screen.The screen can be rolled down manually and kept in place with a hook with weights, hooked to the screen handle when needed. Because of the spring tension is light, the tension on the screen (by the spring and the hook with weights in opposite directions) is light enough so as to not to damage the screen. When I finish using the screen, I unhook the weights and the screen will gently roll up. For reference, my screen is a Loch MWS 130. Not only the blocking mechanism is made of plastic, also the extremes of the screen cilinder that act as axle tips are plastic parts, not metal parts as on the screen seen on this video.

[@timmauldin7216]

Will this work if the projector is stuck and will not go back up?

[@StoneFlange]

It depends on how it broke. If the tension spring is no longer attached to the rod the screen rolls onto, then you will probably have to weld(?) it back on. If the housing gets stripped like a screw head can be stripped (my housing is made of plastic, and I noticed the rod had warped it some), then you may be able to fill in the cap to restore the shape. If yours is stuck in the down position, then it may just need more tension applied or the ratchet and pall position-locking mechanism will need to be examined. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but those are the first things I would look at. Good luck and let me know if you find out anything with your screen or have any more questions!

[@timmauldin7216]

@@StoneFlange Mine has a roller instead of a rod with smaller squares on each end. The manufacturer sent me instructions for fixing that is very similar to what have done here. Thanks for the feedback.

[@MisterCasket]

I have this problem! It hardly won't go up anymore, but there IS some tension. It sometimes works, and then it rolls up fine. But when I rolled it down, the gentle tug doesn't work again to get it rolled up. Very annoying.

[@DR.SELVAGANESH7018]

👍🏻🤝

[@MorganaRavenheart]

So, I was pulling my screen down earlier, and about half way down something happened, and the screen fell the rest of the way down, no tension. And ideas how to fix it? I can't afford a new screen. Thx.

[@StoneFlange]

Whoa that's scary, I hope you're ok! My screen has plastic end caps, so I'm guessing that yours does too. If the plastic housing wears out, then it won't be able to hold the tension bar in place. If you take the screen down, you should be able to roll it up (with no tension of course). Once you lay it down, open up the housing and take a look at both end caps. The rod in my screen has a rectangular cross section, so my end caps have a rectangular hole carved into the plastic. I actually scratched up this molding a bit when I was learning how to fix my screen, but it still grabs the bar well enough. If this is the issue with your screen, then you may be able to fashion something simple out of wood or metal to reinforce the end caps. Let me know what you find out, and I'll try to help out!

[@KANAUSAGI]

Me watching this on my projector with my motorized projector screen. AMATEURS LOL

[@21753117]

A motorized screen is more expensive to buy and more complex and expensive to fix in case of malfunction. As long as it works well, yes, it's more luxurious than a manual screen.

[@-TKMAX-]

Use a power drill on the end to put the tension back. Much faster

[@StoneFlange]

I thought it about that for a second, but didn't trust myself to be gentle enough with it haha! I think wrapping up the screen initially could be done with a drill, but you might want to be more careful when deciding on how much tension you want to add before closing it back up.

[@sigurolsen7831]

Just spend the better part of an evening doing something similar to an old projection screen. similar mechanism, total pain in the ass. My favorite moment of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZzUkJSOZqhqbbc exact same pride!

[@TheRopenNetwork]

OK so it looks like you leave one of the end On then you attempt to wind up the screen and then give it 15 more turns and then using your tool, you're able to put on the end cap. The only problem is I don't think anybody has that tool that you have.

[@StoneFlange]

They don’t unless they make one like I did :/ to be fair, it was a short length of angled aluminum cut with a cheap coping saw

[@mwroblox]

His reaction us pricelesa

[@uselessmid]

if you have a problem with pulling down do the vid

[@uselessmid]

here is a easier way without hassle get a hook to attach to a latch if your projector has one

[@robertmuckle2985]

Generally the end caps have enough room where you can pull the one end out slightly, and turn the entire cap to add tension, then pop end cap back on. Your method is unnecessarily awkward and dare I say.....goofy😂

[@StoneFlange]

If I recall correctly (it’s been several years heh), the plastic end caps did not instill a lot of confidence for torquing up the spring. There is a rectangular receptacle molded into the plastic end cap, which distorted the first time I tried to hand crank it. You may find others built stronger though, in which case, you should definitely try out that simpler method out.

[@sankako6075]

this method is not logic and have engeenering flaws

[@dmplingvii8404]

I don’t trust you

[@aot9339]

This is a great, clear instructional. Much appreciated!

[@StoneFlange]

You’re welcome! Check out some of the other comments too. I think some folks found another way to do this, depending on your screen’s construction! 👍